


Somebody I Think I Know

by SlasherFiend



Category: Adam (2009), Charlie Countryman (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-17
Updated: 2016-07-17
Packaged: 2018-07-24 12:36:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7508521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlasherFiend/pseuds/SlasherFiend
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prince Adam is not fit to run the kingdom his father will soon leave him. While traveling for a potential marriage proposal his carriage is waylaid by highwaymen. The Prince is frightened, but why does the leader of the highwaymen seem familiar?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Somebody I Think I Know

**Author's Note:**

> super late to this too, my bad. Don't worry the death is no one important.

The cool night air drifted through the trees across town and down through the dark streets, up into the open window of the largest inn. There were no sounds to indicate the presence of people. As Prince Adam gazed out into the dark, he could faintly hear horses, not the ones in the stable behind the inn, but down a road some ways off. The small sounds that he could make out, whatever they were, made it obvious the town was alive. It was much different than living in the castle with his father, where once night fell, the cold stones held onto the silence like they were creating graves. Adam didn’t want to sleep, not when he could observe all the people in this town. He could tell his advisors why he lacked sleep the next morn, or if he was lucky, he could sleep in the carriage ride out of town.

As Adam peered into the dark from the second story, his white bed clothes stirring in the breeze, he heard footsteps coming down the street, towards the inn. Adam was very curious as to who was out of bed. What business could they have? His curiosity almost rivaled the one he held for observing the heavens, which was why he had opened the window in the first place. He had wanted to see if the stars were different here than the ones at the castle. “Hello!” Adam called to the dark shadow of the man walking closer.

The man paused and looked up at the inn. There was no moon, so neither could make out features of the other, just faint outlines. “Aren’t you supposed to be sleeping?” the man asked with some kind of accent.

“Yes,” Adam answered. “But I wanted to observe the stars first.”

The man glanced up at the twinkling lights. “Why the fuck would you want to do that?” he asked.

Adam frowned. He had been told many times that the people living in the kingdom did not think or question the way he did, but how could this man not want to know about the great mystery of the heavens? This man was also very foul mouthed; something the Prince had been warned about was for common folk. “I like to,” Adam replied, leaning on the wooden sill to peer down at the man. “Why are you not sleeping?”

The man said nothing for a moment.

“Are you going home? Perhaps you have business to attend to?” Adam guessed.

“I’m meeting a friend,” the man answered slowly. He walked a few paces, before Adam called out to stop him.

“What is your name?” the Prince inquired.

The man stopped, head rising so he could look into the window. “Why the fuck do you care?” he hissed.

“If I know your name, I will remember it,” Adam said. “You are the first person to talk to me here. It’s difficult to talk to the people here. But I am comfortable now and you seem nice.”

The man remained where he was. “You seem absent minded,” he muttered, holding back his surprise at the nice comment.

Adam could hear him, as the night was silent now, briefly. “No, I just think differently,” he told the man. Of course he was repeating what the advisors had told him, but that was the only way Adam could explain his actions. “I won’t keep you if you tell me your name.”

The man sighed. “It’s Nigel,” he answered.

Adam smiled. “Pleasure to meet you Nigel. I hope your meeting goes well. Goodnight!” With that the prince ducked back into his room and closed the window.

Nigel stared up at the window, shook his head, and walked on. He needed to talk to Darko before daybreak.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the new day pushed on, Adam found himself back in the carriage, finally on the last leg of the trip to meet with his advisors and the neighboring royal family. He was to discuss a marriage proposal with Princess Beth. Adam had only corresponded with Beth in letters; she seemed likeable at least and had very pretty handwriting.

Suddenly, the carriage stopped. Adam looked out; he could see trees all around. Obviously they had not arrived at the castle. Perhaps something was wrong? Then he heard a shout and someone was thrown to the ground. Adam opened the door and climbed out, only to be grabbed by a large man in black. Adam shouted in surprise and struggled. He didn’t know what was going on, where were the guards? He was dragged around the side of the carriage, into the road and he saw two more men dressed in black. Two more were dragging the bodies of the guards into the tall, yellow weeds.

“This must be the Prince,” one of the masked men said, approaching.

Adam shrank back against the man holding him, his red silk coat made it obvious he was royalty.

The robber reached out and grabbed Adam’s arm, pulling the gold cufflinks from his coat.

“You cannot take that!” Adam exclaimed. “The penalty for stealing is death!”

“I know that,” the masked man hissed, reaching his hand into his long coat and pulling out a dagger. He flicked his wrist out and seemed ready to stab the Prince.

Before he could, the other man stopped him. This masked robber had to be the leader. He wore dark red on the inside of his long coat.

“Leave him alone,” the leader hissed. “We have to stick to the plan.”

The other man turned. “This is part of the plan,” he said, gesturing to Adam.

“We’re not going to fucking kill him,” the leader said and Adam’s eyes widened as he recognized the voice.

“Nigel?” he asked. “Y-you’re the…?”

Nigel sighed and pulled the cloth that was covering the lower half of his face away. “No point in hiding from you now.”

Adam was confused and it was obvious, his brow furrowing. He went to ask something when the other man interrupted.

“You know the Prince?” he asked, glaring at his boss, putting the dagger away.

“No, I only talked to him,” Nigel explained. “I had no fucking clue that it was him.”

“I didn’t know I was speaking to Nigel as well,” Adam said, shifting his footing. “He told me nothing about your group and I told him nothing about my position.”

The man scoffed.

“A word,” Nigel growled at him, and they walked off.

“Why did you not tell me you knew the Prince?” Darko asked as soon as they were clear of the carriage, out of earshot.

“I already fucking explained,” Nigel told him. “I wasn’t aware the Prince was the odd young man I talked to last night.”

“Why did you stop me? I thought we were going to kill him,” Darko continued.

“Have you ever heard the Prince make speeches or do anything other than in ceremony?” Nigel asked instead. “Is he ever tasked with something that reveals where he stands politically? The boy is not the one we should kill.”

“Then who should we kill?” Darko asked slowly, staring at Nigel, as if he was unsure that he wasn’t crazy.

“The Prince’s advisors,” Nigel answered. “They are the ones with the fucking power. They are going to be waiting for the Prince, so we can use him to get close.”

Darko gave a short nod. “Change of plan it is then. But if you get soft because of his young face…” He walked off, an unsaid threat hanging in the air.

Nigel went back to Adam.

“Thank you for saving me,” Adam said. “I didn’t want to die here in such a horrible way.”

“Don’t thank me,” Nigel muttered. The other men in his group were back, and one pulled some rope from a horse that stood in the road.

“I thought you said you weren’t going to kill me,” Adam squeaked.

Nigel took the rope and bound Adam’s hands. “We’re not, but we need you, little prince,” he explained and ushered Adam back into the carriage. The unknown men climbed on and started off, while Darko climbed in with Nigel and Adam.

Adam stared at Nigel as the ride to Beth’s castle continued. “Why did you bind me?” he asked after several long moments.

“We don’t trust you,” Darko answered.

“Until our plan is set in motion, we have to believe you would give us over to be executed,” Nigel added.

“You are attempting a coup,” Adam said, still staring at Nigel.

“How did-?” Darko started to ask before Nigel interrupted to ask, “What gave it away?”

“You didn’t kill me,” Adam answered. “You are a feared and reportedly deadly man and yet you have kept me alive. Which one would conclude means you are attempting to seize power.”

Nigel smirked. “Despite not ruling, you are very bright,” he said.

“How do we know you won’t inform someone as soon as we get to the castle?” Darko asked, eyeing the Prince warily.

“As of this moment, either of you could kill me very easily,” Adam replied. “Speaking to someone about your plan would not be wise.”

“You seem rather at ease knowing that we are going to kill people who work for you,” Nigel said, staring into Adam’s blue eyes.

“I could not stop you, even if I wanted to,” Adam explained. “Though I do ask that you do it as quickly as possible, I would not want them to suffer.”

“We can do that,” Nigel said with a nod.

Darko went to protest when Adam asked, “What are you going to do once you have power?”

Both highwaymen stared at the prince.

“If your coup is successful and…you do not kill me,” Adam went on. “What will you do then?”

Darko turned to Nigel, expecting his partner to answer.

“I haven’t thought that fucking far,” Nigel eventually replied, but he was gazing at the Prince, trying to figure him out.

“Please tell me when you have,” Adam told him. “Someone will have to give me advice once my advisors are gone…” He looked out of the carriage window.

The highwaymen sat in silence. They both knew the king was in ill health and Adam was his only son. Adam wasn’t fit to rule, at least not alone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The carriage arrived after dusk. The two men on top jumped down and dispatched the guards while Darko dragged Adam out into the cold night air, shoes clacking on the stone.

“I take it there is a lady here,” Nigel said, tying the dark cloth over the bottom half of his face.

Adam nodded. “Please don’t hurt her, her entire family means nothing to you.”

Darko scowled and cuffed Adam upside the head.

Nigel glanced at Darko. “Why did you do that?”

“The boy keeps insisting on what we should do,” Darko answered. “We don’t take orders from him.”

“He’s been an unwavering captive, never complained,” Nigel said, stepping closer to his fellow robber. “How many fuckers have we had to kill because they wouldn’t shut it?”

Darko didn’t reply, but they both knew it was quite a fair amount.

“Leave the little prince alone,” Nigel said and walked off.

Darko dragged Adam with him, as they followed Nigel.

As they made their way into the hall, the way lit by torches in the walls, Adam spied Beth as she, her father, and mother were running out. The bodies of Adam’s advisors lay on the floor or across the table. Adam looked across the room to see Nigel aiming a dagger at Harlan as he sat in his chair. “Nigel wait!” the prince called.

Nigel paused, his hand twisted in Harlan’s shirt.

“Prince Adam!” Harlan exclaimed. “So this is the reason for your delay,” he said, nodding at the highwaymen.

“Yes and I am sorry Harlan,” Adam told him. “But they came out of the forest and ambushed us. It was so quick I could not…”

“My prince, why did you ask this criminal to stop?” Harlan cut in.

“Harlan is my father’s closest friend,” Adam explained. “If you were to kill him, my father would be suspicious, particularly if you take power soon after.”

Nigel glanced over his shoulder at Adam.

“Tell me you’re not considering it,” Darko huffed.

“The little prince is right,” Nigel told him. He dropped the dagger and let Harlan go.

“The prince,” Darko hissed. “Cannot tell you what to do! You swore to be your own man when we took on this life!”

Nigel turned to Darko. “Someone needs to be by his side,” he explained. “We let him stay and no one will know what we did here.”

“And what becomes of us?” Darko snapped.

“We become his guard?” Nigel asked, glancing at Adam.

“To keep fuckers at bay,” Adam answered with a nod. He didn’t see Harlan’s wide eyes of surprise. Nigel smiled.

“If you ever want to become my advisor, Harlan could teach you,” Adam went on.

“We just watch over him till his father dies then?” Darko asked, sure any input he had would not be listened to.

“Yes,” Nigel said and walked over, cutting the rope from Adam’s wrists.

Everyone left the hall and the highwaymen accompanied Adam back to his castle.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harlan told Adam’s father that Beth had not been compatible with his son and left it at that.

Nigel and his men were appointed as guards to the prince, with Nigel taking it on himself to guard Adam’s room personally.

Months passed before Darko noticed Nigel was missing from his post, as the first in command passed by down the hall in his route. Darko approached the room, to ask where Nigel was when he heard two sets of voices groan softly from within, gasps intermingling.

Darko told no one and when the king passed a month later, Darko told the empty room, “With your son fucking my boss, you could have taken me with you. Your son’s baby face made my boss soft.” He left the castle and the guard; sure he could make it on his own in his old profession. 

Nigel stayed behind.

**Author's Note:**

> also on tumblr. I'm shipperfiendobssesser


End file.
